The Roast Grill – hot dog Nirvana

When Adam Richman of Man v. Food stopped, he had 17 of them. That's probably a bit over the top, being as he ate them in a manner of minutes. Perhaps, if one is trying to crack Joey Chestnut's record at Nathan's in Coney Island, its okay to snarf hot dogs – 'cuse me, Hot Wieners – in that manner. But here, there should be the proper reverence.

Because they aren't merely good; they are the standard against which all other are judged.

The first time I drove passed it, I was taking her Imperial Majesty le Grand Dame aka My Mother to Captain Stanley's in Garner. This was long before the opened their fine establishment in North Raleigh. I remember seeing the sign and commenting: "If that place is still open, I bet they make the best dogs in town."

In short: they do.

At the Roast Grill, the chili is made on premises from a 70 year old recipe and they don't serve burgers. Or fries. Or cheese dogs. Or combos. Or chips. Only dogs, sodas and beer. That's it. The menu is even more stripped down that Johnson's in Siler City. On a recent visit, Her Imperial Majesty and I (sans Kinder) got there shortly after they opened. Seated at the counter was a fellow buying a dozen or so for a "tailgate" party at a buddy's place. Apparently NC State was playing out of town so they wanted to replicate the tailgate experience without standing in a parking lot.

So they called George and ordered a dozen to go.

I spoke to the owner, George Poniros, and asked him how many dogs he does a week. "Twelve to fifteen hundred was his reply". That's a lot.

We had a couple of dogs for breakfast before decamping to points south. Mine was "all the way", garnished with the afore mentioned chili, onions and mustard. The missus had hers all the way plus slaw made fresh on the premises.

The results? Hot dog perfection. The burnt skin of the dog snaps in the mouth like my favorite New York City dogs from Gray's Papaya. The difference is the toppings, with the chili in particular being particularly tasty. An utterly marvelous experience.

But don't ask for ketchup, because they don't any. I asked George about that too.

"My grandmother used to keep a bottle in the back for the Greek Orthodox priests," he answered.

Ketchup for the local clergy but nothing for the rest of us sinners? That's okay. His dogs are so good, adding ketchup would be a sin. Even if you don't snarf down as many as Adam did.

The Roast Grill

7 S. West Street
Raleigh N.C. 27603

Phone (919) 832-8292

www.roastgrill.com

Cuisine: Quintessential hog dog joint

Rating: ****

Prices: $

Atmosphere: Utterly paleo

Noise level: low to moderate, but who cares?

Open: Lunch Mon – Sat 11 am to 4 pm

Reservations: Are you crazy?

Other: Cash only, 'natch

We rank restaurants in five categories: Extraordinary***** Excellent**** Above average*** Average** Fair*

The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $$ Entrees $11 to $16. $$$ Entrees $17 to $25. $$$$ Entrees more than $25.